Transcription Impacts the Efficiency of mRNA Translation via Co-transcriptional N6-adenosine Methylation

Transcription and translation are two main pillars of gene expression. Due to the different timings, spots of action, and mechanisms of regulation, these processes are mainly regarded as distinct and generally uncoupled, despite serving a common purpose. Here, we sought for a possible connection between transcription and translation. Employing an unbiased screen of multiple human promoters, we identified a positive effect of TATA box on translation and a general coupling between mRNA expression and translational efficiency. Using a CRISPR-Cas9-mediated approach, genome-wide analyses, and in vitro experiments, we show that the rate of transcription regulates the efficiency of translation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that m6A modification of mRNAs is co-transcriptional and depends upon the dynamics of the transcribing RNAPII. Suboptimal transcription rates lead to elevated m6A content, which may result in reduced translation. This study uncovers a general and widespread link between transcription and translation that is governed by epigenetic modification of mRNAs

Regulation of angiogenesis by CPEB-mediated translational control

[spa]En muchas enfermedades hepáticas cr6nicas, la angiogénesis es una importante característica patológica y juega un papel crucial en la progresión de la fibrogénesis hepática a cirrosis, y en la aparición y agravamiento de la hipertensión portal, la cual determina las principales complicaciones de la enfermedad. A pesar de que es evidente que VEGF es el principal efector de la angiogénesis patológica, los mecanismos moleculares que gobiernan la activación post-transcripcional de su síntesis durante la cirrosis hepática son en gran parte desconocidos. En este trabajo se muestra que la síntesis de VEGF está regulada a través de funciones secuenciales y no redundantes de dos miembros de la familia de las proteínas CPEB:. CPEB1 y CPEB4. Por 10 tanto, CPEB1 promueve el procesamiento alternativo de ambos los pre-ARNm de CPEB4 y VEGF, acortando las 3'UTRs y excluyendo elementos de inhibición de la traducción de los transcritos maduros. Como resultado de este procesamiento alternativo, CPEB4 se sobreexpresa, y polyadenyla el ARNm de VEGF, aumentando aún más su traducción. Entonces, se requieren tanto CPEB1 como CPEB4 para la síntesis de VEGF y la consecuente angiogénesis. Por tanto, todas las proteínas se sobreexpresan de forma secuencial en pacientes y en modelos animales de cirrosis hepática e hipertensión portal, y ambos ratones knock-out para CPEB1 y CPEB4 no lograron activar la angiogénesis tras la inducción de hipertensión portal. A través del análisis de la angiogénesis en ensayos in vitro, las muestras de humanos y modelos animales, nuestros resultados ponen de relieve el papel crucial de CPEBs en la neovascularización patol6gica, en el marco de la hipertensión portal y cirrosis, e identifican CPEBs como potenciales nuevas dianas moleculares para el tratamiento de la enfermedad hepática cr6nica y otras enfermedades dependientes de la neovascularización, como el cáncer.[eng]Hepatic cirrhosis is a largely diffused pathology caused by alcohol abuse and hepatitis C in developed countries, whereas hepatitis B is the cause in most parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. It's characterized by development of regenerative nodules delimited by fibrous septa. Regenerative nodules are composed by proliferating hepatocytes, entrapped by deposition of extracellular matrix, and have been shown to be involved in growth factor production, in particular VEGF, which is responsible of angiogenic induction that culminates with formation of a dense network of blood vessels into fibrous septa. The newly formed blood vessels of fibrous septa connect the vessels of the portal region with terminal hepatic veins, determining an alternative route of the blood flow that, in this way, is redirected into the systemic circulation bypassing the liver. At pre-hepatic level, the cirrhosisrelated portal hypertension induces development of new blood vessels that shunt the portal blood into the systemic circulation. As consequence of both intrahepatic and pre-hepatic angiogenesis, the liver cannot metabolize several blood components such as drugs, nutrients, toxins, and bacteria, with obvious deleterious effects. Despite angiogenesis is one of the main complications of liver cirrhosis and VEGF has a pivotal role in the control of blood vessels formation, the molecular mechanisms that govern VEGF expression during angiogenesis and hepatic cirrhosis are poorly understood. In order to address whether CPEB family of proteins may have a function in the regulation of angiogenesis in liver diseases, we analysed the expression of CPEBl and CPEB4 in liver of patients affected by hepatic cirrhosis. The expression of CPEBl and CPEB4 was increased in regenerative nodules, compared with basal levels of expression detected in healthy hepatic parenchyma. Interestingly, also VEGF expression was higher in regenerative nodules. The numerous fibrous septa that characterized cirrhotic livers resulted highly vascularized, and the endothelium of newly formed blood vessels expressed high levels of CPEB1, CPEB4 and VEGF. The description of CPEB1, CPEB4 and VEGF expression in healthy and cirrhotic conditions represented a first cue of CPEB-mediated translational regulation of VEGF mRNA during angiogenesis. To prove the accuracy of this hypothesis we implemented two animal models that allowed the study of intrahepatic and prehepatic angiogenesis correlated with liver cirrhosis. CBDL experiments performed in rats enabled to recapitulate the histopathological conditions observed in human hepatic cirrhosis. Cirrhotic rat livers showed deep histological perturbations, with high proliferation of blood vessels and biliary ducts. Compared with control healthy samples, the expression of CPEB1, CPEB4 and VEGF in pathological liver was strongly increased. These proteins localized at level of both, blood vessels and biliary ducts. Partial portal vein ligation (PPVL) experiments performed in rats enabled to show an important correlation between CPEBl and CPEB4 expression with VEGF synthesis and consequent high vascularization of mesentery. In angiogenic condition, both pre-existing and newly formed blood vessels expressed CPEB1, CPEB4 and VEGF at level of endothelium, smooth muscle and adventitia, tissues that playa pivotal role in the development of the vascular net. To better define the mechanistic relevance of these correlations, we characterized the endothelial cell line HSV. In this in vitro model we modulated the levels of CPEBl and CPEB4, and showed a direct involvement of this two proteins in the translational regulation of VEGF mRNA. Taking advance of the ability of HSV cells to form blood vessel like structure in an in vitro angiogenesis assay, we were able to show that CPEBl and CPEB4 are required for VEGF synthesis and secretion, which in turn are essential to create the correct microenvironment necessary to activate the cells and induce the formation of a dense network of vascular structures on Matrigel. Our results suggest that CPEBl drives the nuclear cleavage of VEGF 3'UTR while CPEB4 is responsible of its cytoplasmic polyadenylation

Macrophage inflammation resolution requires CPEB4-directed offsetting of mRNA degradation

Chronic inflammation is a major cause of disease. Inflammation resolution is in part directed by the differential stability of mRNAs encoding pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors. In particular, tristetraprolin (TTP)-directed mRNA deadenylation destabilizes AU-rich element (ARE)-containing mRNAs. However, this mechanism alone cannot explain the variety of mRNA expression kinetics that are required to uncouple degradation of pro-inflammatory mRNAs from the sustained expression of anti-inflammatory mRNAs. Here, we show that the RNA-binding protein CPEB4 acts in an opposing manner to TTP in macrophages: it helps to stabilize anti-inflammatory transcripts harboring cytoplasmic polyadenylation elements (CPEs) and AREs in their 3'-UTRs, and it is required for the resolution of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-triggered inflammatory response. Coordination of CPEB4 and TTP activities is sequentially regulated through MAPK signaling. Accordingly, CPEB4 depletion in macrophages impairs inflammation resolution in an LPS-induced sepsis model. We propose that the counterbalancing actions of CPEB4 and TTP, as well as the distribution of CPEs and AREs in their target mRNAs, define transcript-specific decay patterns required for inflammation resolution. Thus, these two opposing mechanisms provide a fine-tuning control of inflammatory transcript destabilization while maintaining the expression of the negative feedback loops required for efficient inflammation resolution; disruption of this balance can lead to disease.We thank the Biostatistics/Bioinformatics, Histopathology, Mouse Mutant, and Functional Genomics facilities at IRB Barcelona. The Flow Cytometry Facility of the UB/PCB and the CRG Genomic Unit are also acknowledged. We thank Dr. Mercedes Fernández and members of the labs of Dr. Angel Nebreda and Dr. Raul Méndez for useful discussion. This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, BFU2017-83561-P), the Fundación BBVA, the Fundación Bancaria 'la Caixa,' the Fundació La Marató TV3, and the Scientific Foundation of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC). CS is the recipient of an FPI-Severo Ochoa fellowship from MINECO. IRB Barcelona is the recipient of a Severo Ochoa Award of Excellence from MINECO (Government of Spain) and was supported by the CERCA Programme (Catalan Government)

Sequential functions of CPEB1 and CPEB4 regulate pathologic expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiogenesis in chronic liver disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) regulates angiogenesis, yet therapeutic strategies to disrupt VEGF signaling can interfere with physiologic angiogenesis. In a search for ways to inhibit pathologic production or activities of VEGF without affecting its normal production or functions, we investigated the post-transcriptional regulation of VEGF by the cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding proteins CPEB1 and CPEB4 during development of portal hypertension and liver disease. METHODS: We obtained transjugular liver biopsies from patients with hepatitis C virus-associated cirrhosis or liver tissues removed during transplantation; healthy human liver tissue was obtained from a commercial source (control). We also performed experiments with male Sprague-Dawley rats and CPEB-deficient mice (C57BL6 or mixed C57BL6/129 background) and their wild-type littermates. Secondary biliary cirrhosis was induced in rats by bile duct ligation, and portal hypertension was induced by partial portal vein ligation. Liver and mesenteric tissues were collected and analyzed in angiogenesis, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, polyA tail, 3' rapid amplification of complementary DNA ends, Southern blot, immunoblot, histologic, immunohistochemical, immunofluorescence, and confocal microscopy assays. CPEB was knocked down with small interfering RNAs in H5V endothelial cells, and translation of luciferase reporters constructs was assessed. RESULTS: Activation of CPEB1 promoted alternative nuclear processing within noncoding 3'-untranslated regions of VEGF and CPEB4 messenger RNAs in H5V cells, resulting in deletion of translation repressor elements. The subsequent overexpression of CPEB4 promoted cytoplasmic polyadenylation of VEGF messenger RNA, increasing its translation; the high levels of VEGF produced by these cells led to their formation of tubular structures in Matrigel assays. We observed increased levels of CPEB1 and CPEB4 in cirrhotic liver tissues from patients, compared with control tissue, as well as in livers and mesenteries of rats and mice with cirrhosis or/and portal hypertension. Mice with knockdown of CPEB1 or CPEB4 did not overexpress VEGF or have signs of mesenteric neovascularization, and developed less-severe forms of portal hypertension after portal vein ligation. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a mechanism of VEGF overexpression in liver and mesentery that promotes pathologic, but not physiologic, angiogenesis, via sequential and nonredundant functions of CPEB1 and CPEB4. Regulation of CPEB4 by CPEB1 and the CPEB4 autoamplification loop induces pathologic angiogenesis. Strategies to block the activities of CPEBs might be developed to treat chronic liver and other angiogenesis-dependent diseases.This work was supported by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO; SAF2011-29491 and SAF2014-55473-R to MF; BFU2011-30121, BFU2014-54122-P and Consolider RNAREG CSD2009-00080 to RM; PI13/00341 to JB; PI11/01562 and PI14/00125 to PN), Generalitat de Catalunya (SGR1436 to RM; SGR1108 to JB), Fundación Botín by Banco Santander through its Santander Universities Global Division (to RM), AECC Scientific Foundation (to RM and MF), Worldwide Cancer Research (to RM and MF) and RETIC Cancer RD12/0036/0051/FEDER to PN. GFM is funded by a Juan de la Cierva contract from MINECO. IRB Barcelona is the recipient of a Severo Ochoa Award of Excellence from MINECO (Government of Spain). CIBERehd is an initiative from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III. We also thank Dr Francisco X Real for his contribution to knockout mice generation

Misure critiche. N.s. A.3, n.1-2(2004)

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Tocilizumab for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. The single-arm TOCIVID-19 prospective trial

BackgroundTocilizumab blocks pro-inflammatory activity of interleukin-6 (IL-6), involved in pathogenesis of pneumonia the most frequent cause of death in COVID-19 patients.MethodsA multicenter, single-arm, hypothesis-driven trial was planned, according to a phase 2 design, to study the effect of tocilizumab on lethality rates at 14 and 30 days (co-primary endpoints, a priori expected rates being 20 and 35%, respectively). A further prospective cohort of patients, consecutively enrolled after the first cohort was accomplished, was used as a secondary validation dataset. The two cohorts were evaluated jointly in an exploratory multivariable logistic regression model to assess prognostic variables on survival.ResultsIn the primary intention-to-treat (ITT) phase 2 population, 180/301 (59.8%) subjects received tocilizumab, and 67 deaths were observed overall. Lethality rates were equal to 18.4% (97.5% CI: 13.6-24.0, P=0.52) and 22.4% (97.5% CI: 17.2-28.3, P<0.001) at 14 and 30 days, respectively. Lethality rates were lower in the validation dataset, that included 920 patients. No signal of specific drug toxicity was reported. In the exploratory multivariable logistic regression analysis, older age and lower PaO2/FiO2 ratio negatively affected survival, while the concurrent use of steroids was associated with greater survival. A statistically significant interaction was found between tocilizumab and respiratory support, suggesting that tocilizumab might be more effective in patients not requiring mechanical respiratory support at baseline.ConclusionsTocilizumab reduced lethality rate at 30 days compared with null hypothesis, without significant toxicity. Possibly, this effect could be limited to patients not requiring mechanical respiratory support at baseline.Registration EudraCT (2020-001110-38); clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04317092)